1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to thermally treating objects, such as surgical instruments.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Surgical scopes (e.g., laparoscopes, endoscopes, arthroscopes, etc.) are used in corrective medical procedures, as well as in medical procedures that image interior viscera such as surfaces of the stomach, small intestines, and colon. The use of surgical scopes permits a surgeon to view a patient body interior with a minimal amount of cutting of patient tissue. The surgical scopes may be warmed prior to use, where scope optics must remain dry to protect those optics and prevent distortion of the image. The scopes are warmed for several reasons, including enhancing image results, preventing infections, and maintaining normothermia. For example, a scope that is unwarmed prior to being inserted into a patient body may fog due to differences between the body temperature and scope temperature, thereby impeding or distorting the resulting image. Further, scopes may be warmed to minimize trauma caused to tissue in response to insertion of the scope into the patient body. The trauma basically results from the temperature difference between the scope and the tissue. Inserting a hot or cold scope may damage tissue, thereby leading to infections. Inserting a cold scope may also lower core body temperature, thereby leading to hypothermia and compromising patient safety.
Scopes can be warmed in an insulated container (e.g., THERMOS) filled with warm liquid. However, since the container generally does not provide temperature control for the liquid and/or scopes, the temperature of the scope is not precisely known by medical personnel. Accordingly, medical personnel may utilize scopes at inadequate temperatures relative to a patient body, thereby potentially causing tissue trauma, fogging of the scope as described above, and/or hypothermia. A chemical wipe or spray may be used to reduce fogging instead of warming the scopes; however, the chemical may be inadvertently introduced into the patient, thereby causing complications. In addition, when an insulated container is used, the scope may be damaged when it, by necessity, comes in contact with the sides and/or bottom of the container.